


Haircuts and Soupcans

by pxrsephoneofeden



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Drabble, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Hair Dyeing, Out of Character, Rewrite, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-05
Updated: 2019-04-05
Packaged: 2020-01-05 10:22:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18364103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pxrsephoneofeden/pseuds/pxrsephoneofeden
Summary: set in between 4x21 and 4x22, heres a peek into the domestic lives of jeremiah and ecco before the chaos ensues.*if you do not like jeremiah and ecco together then don’t read*rewrite of a fic from a year ago titled the same thing





	Haircuts and Soupcans

clink

Two soup and clunked together as she placed them in meticulous rows in the old cabinets of the kitchenette area. She was calm, off guard, and peacefully lulled herself with the hum of a romantic tune she’d heard on a commercial and couldn't seem to get out of her head. 

The small and humorously old television that sat lazily on the counter adjacent from her buzzed, as picture and sound connection struggled to play, but the quick flash of a ’breaking news’ update caught her attention. She reached over and grabbed the remote, clicking the volume button a couple times to turn the sound up.

”GCPD are still searching for the malicious serial killer and twin brother of Jerome Valeska, Jeremiah Valeska, as he hasn't been spotted publicly since the raid at the police station and disappearance of detective James Gordon-”

She scoffed at the implication that she and her criminal partner (boyfriend?) could ever be brought to justice by the below average cops of the monsters city of Gotham. She went back to stacking soup cans in her miniature stockpile in the cabinet. 

Suddenly, a large hand falling on her shoulder broke her from her passive facade, and she lunged her elbow out in defense. Her years of combat training had given her the reflexes of a feral animal hunting prey. This time she might be been the tiniest bit surprised, she nearly gasped, but mentally slapped herself, she was too good to gasp or show any bit of shock. 

Or at least that's one of the things Jeremiah had told her that made her smile.

Her possible attacker stepped back in ample time to miss her arm and a strangely raspy maniacal laugh gave her a sense of realization and relief. Jeremiah's laughter halted after a few more seconds, shaking his head her in playfulness. She childishly rolled her eyes, but she remained in a defensive pose.

He sharply inhaled. ”I told you-you're still not used to my new appearance, are you? Startled perhaps?”

She rolled her eyes once again and dropped to the floor to retrieve the rest of the groceries that had been knocked out of the bag during their little encounter. She avoided eye contact and he dropped beside her, reaching out and brushing a strand of hair from her face.

”I scared you, didn't I? Harley?” He may have been insane, but he sure knew the direct entryway to her cold heart.

She smirked. ”Never.”

He chuckled and leaned in to kiss her, she wrapped her arms around him and held on a few seconds after they broke away, reluctantly.

He tilted his head to see the television behind her and flashed a devious grin.

“Watching my reality show are we?” He strutted over to turn the volume up even louder, the staticky sound getting even more warped at every emphasized word the annoying news anchor blurted out.

“I’m shocked at how dumb the news is these days. Even local stations don’t know fact or fiction. And it’s quite annoying that they list your most important quality as being a twin of that violent buffoon.” She sighed and closed the cabinet, turing to face him, he cocked an eyebrow at her little rant.

“Elaborate darling, i’d like to know your vendetta against the local news.” He held back laughter at her unusually passionate complaining. She was fairly adorable when irritated.

“Well for starters, they have to know there’s more than one bunker right? And James Gordon is for sure dead and they’re wasting breath looking for him?” She threw her hands up in the air and puffed out an annoyed breath. 

He stepped over to her and pulled her arm to his, rubbing it and then pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“You’d be amazed at the idiocy of society, dear.” She rested her head against his chest and loosely held her arms around his shoulders, he returned the lazy embrace and gave her a teasing smile.

“Wow, the world’s best assassin is in a bad mood, all because she’s needy for her boyfriend’s attention. How cute!” He said and she stuck her tongue out at him in response.

“Shut it.” She mumbled as she buried her head into the crook of his neck, cheeks flushing darker by the second.

“I’m sorry I left you alone. This mission was a one man job, and I can’t afford you getting hurt, as much as it pained me to not get to see you punch someone’s dumb face today.” He grabbed her chin and made her look at him. She continued to pout.

“I know, but I was worried.” She said softly.

His eyes widened, that was something he hadn’t even thought of, how stupid of her, to worry about him, someone so powerful. He released her and rubbed his temples, mumbling something about how he didn’t need her worried thoughts. He didn’t realize how much more threatening his slight annoyance must appear now, as when he opened his eyes he was hurt to see Ecco’s tensed frame and hands fidgeting nervously.

It hurt him, it really did, to be aware that as much as she claimed it didn’t affect her view of him, his new physical appearance was taking a while to get used too. His skin was stark white like a vampire’s, his lips were red and looked irritated, his eyes were icy and vaguely empty. Even in his own opinion, his brother had won, this one last time. He turned him into a monster, and there was nothing he could do about it now.

He took a deep breath and reached out to stroke her hair.

“I’m not upset at you, mainly myself. I didn’t realize how irrational my plans may seem at this moment from the outside, but in a very short time it’ll all make sense why things have to happen this way.” 

His voice was smooth and almost seductive, if she wasn’t already blushing, she sure would’ve been now.

“I didn’t want you to get taken away from me.” She whispered and looked down.

“Oh Harley, dear, i’m not just going to get thrown into arkham, you need not be afraid of that!” He tried to comfort her anxious mind.

“I can’t not be. It’s kinda my job to worry about your safety.” She nervously laughed and leaned her head further into his hand.

“You’re never afraid. In the years I’ve known you, you’ve never once been afraid.” He furrowed his eyebrows.

 

“That’s because the only thing I was protecting you from was an idiot who wanted to blow things up. And even then, no one else knew we existed, so there was no room for fear-” she was cut off by his mouth on hers, hungry and reassuring. 

They kissed furiously, she laced their fingers together and he pushed them into the nearest wall, closing all space between them. She pulled away with a small amount of fight, and smirked deviously at him.

“Let’s get one more thing straight, J, no matter how much like a ginger Count Dracula you look, I will never not be attracted to you.” 

She pecked his cheek and he howled in laughter. He picked her up by the waist, she wrapped her legs around him and they laughed all the way to their bed.

~~~  
(Later that evening)

“You want it how short?!” She held a pair of sharp scissors nervously on the couch as her boyfriend sat in the floor in front of her.

“Honestly forget what I said before, just make it look ok. I’m unveiling my new city plan in front of the whole police department tomorrow and I need to look fresh.”

“Well whatever I do, you’ll look better than the whole force.” She spoke sarcastically and gently tapping the side of his face.

He rolled his eyes and chuckled at her through the mirror he held in front of him.

“Just cut my damn hair.”

She repeatedly moved her hands back and forth over different places on his head, scared of completely ruining his hair. Assassins cut people, not hair, she thought to herself. She pursed her lips and continued to hesitate, motioning the blades over his head, and almost cutting several pieces.

“Just. Cut. My. Hair. I don’t care if it’s perfect but i’ve seen you cut your own bangs when we got drunk on New Years and they turned out ok! it continues to amaze me if i’m being honest.” He rambled on and she interrupted him.

“Jeremiah, they were not ok. I had to wear my hair up everyday for a month, and besides your hair is more important than my crooked side bangs.” She scoffed at him and put the scissors down.

He closed his eyes and turned around to face her. He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her to where she was mere centimeters from his face.

“I’m not arguing. Cut my hair. Dear.” When he wanted to be, Jeremiah could be threatening in the most persuasively attractive way.

She swallowed. “Yeah, sure, ok.”

She snipped a tiny bit off a small strand in the very back. She grinned at him in the mirror proudly. He tried not to laugh at how childishly triumphant her look was. Sometimes he was shocked at how strong and apathetic someone who was really so childish and cute could become once he was in danger.

She continued to use her fingers to comb through strands and snip bits of hair off. Everything seemed to be ok, until Jeremiah decided to shift without warning and the futon holding Ecco in place cause a-

Snip

She sharply drew a breath and stopped her movement. They locked eyes in the mirror, and her horrified expression gave away exactly what had just happened.

“Harley.” He spoke with no emotion.

“Yes Daddy-“.

“Don’t use that to distract me right now-Did you just cut off a whole chunk of my hair?” His voice was surprisingly calm for someone who may have just gained a bald spot. He closed his eyes, hoping her answer was no.

“I wouldn’t exactly say a chunk-“ She waved her hands as she spoke, a sliver of orange caught his eye.

“Dear god it’s still in your hand!” He had seen it in the mirror. He laughed out of pure shock.

Out of instinct she chucked it over the edge of the couch to dispose of it.

“Harley, oh my god!” He exclaimed and rubbed his head with his hands.

“Ok! This was your idea! I didn’t want to cut your hair!” She said defensively.

He huffed out a sigh. “You’re right, You're right! How can we fix this?”

She ghosted her fingers in his hair, ruffling it very slowly and trying to think of a solution. A light bulb went blinding in her brain and she jumped off of the couch.

He got nervous when he heard her rummaging through a drawer in the bathroom.

“What are you looking for?” He called out for her.

“I found it- Ouch! gosh darn it! I dropped it on my toe!” She yelled dramatically.

He chuckled to himself. For someone who’s killed dozens of people, it’s surprising she doesn’t swear.

She returned with her hair conditioner, a plastic bowl, a towel, and a dark green bottle that looked like it had been sitting in a cabinet for six years.

“I’m a little concerned, Harley. With all due respect.” He raised an eyebrow at her suspiciously excited aura.

“It’s black hair dye. The black will conceal the missing part and it won’t be noticeable. We’ll just find a way to get it back to ginger eventually when the hair grows back.” She explained it like it made all the sense in the world. He listened like he was actually considering it.

“I see the logic, but that bottle is green, sweetheart.” He smiled at her in the mirror and widened his eyes.

“Yes, sweetheart, I can see that. But it says black on the label so I’m gonna assume it’s black. Are you in or are you gonna rock a missing hair chunk?”

He turned back around to look at her, back in the mirror, and then at the hair dye, then back at her again. 

“If my hair turns out green you’re gonna go blue and red once we take over the city.”

“Deal.”

~~~

“It's not bad!” She but her lip to hold back the laugh wanting to burst out.

He growled at her. “When I finished drying it you started uncontrollably laughing and said ‘I can’t look at you’ I’m not finding this funny Harley!”

She rolled her eyes and went over to hug him, he refused to hug back, but she also refused to let go. Eventually one of them would always give up.So far Jeremiah has not won this battle a single time. She stuck her lip out and hugged him tighter. He wasn’t going to lose completely this time. He grabbed her waist and lifted her up abruptly, she wrapped her legs around him and he walked her to the bed, pressing her into the mattress and not allowing her to move under him.

“Look at me and tell me this isn’t a dumpster fire of 2008 emo.” He whispered in her ear. She forced her lips together to not make a sound, but when he started tickled the sides of her ribs she lost it.

“Ok! hahaha! Stop! Please! Baby please! It’s bad ok! It’s really bad! We’re gonna fix it though!” He stopped and rose up, allowing her to move freely again. 

”I’ll just wear a hat.” He shrugged his shoulders and walked over to the kitchenette. She mentally face-palmed at how overly dramatic he could be.

“I’m gonna shower.” She announced as she walked casually over to the bathroom. Jeremiah smirked at her.

“I’ll alert the press.”

She shot him her middle finger and he smiled proudly at his smart ass comment.

~~~  
(That evening)

Jeremiah didn’t have many weaknesses, but seeing his girlfriend wearing nothing but underwear and one of his old “Haley’s Circus!” Ringer tees was definitely one of them.

She plopped down on the bed next to him and she felt his eyes rake up and down her body over and over again, almost predatorily. She grabbed a pillow and playfully hit him with it to break his trance.

“Perv!” She said and she climbed under the covers.

He scooted over closer to her and began kissing her neck, gently.

“Oh darling when you look like that what am I supposed to do!” He said as he made his way from her jaw to her lips and the two shared a quick but steamy kiss. For the next hour or so, they sat in the bed, limbs tangled and Ecco’s hair running through Jeremiah’s hair until they both blissfully fell asleep.

~~~  
(2:35 am)

“J… Are you awake?” She said, trying to whisper but in actuality nearly yelling.

“...am now I guess.” his groggy voice mumbled from beside her.

“I woke up like, an hour ago, and I can’t fall asleep again…” she said needily and tired.

“Harley, you’re my favorite nocturnal being, but please, for the love of god, go the hell to sleep.” he was barely awake, and if it had been anyone else waking him, he wouldn’t have been so ‘pleasant’.

“Rude.”

She decided to mess with him by wiggling herself out of his arms and scooting over to the other side of the bed, far away, leaving him cold and annoyed.

He raised his arm up and made a ‘come here’ motion with his hand and pointed back at the spot beside him. Sleepy, but feeling mischievous, She played it out a little longer.

“No. you were mean!” she giggled out.

He groaned and turned over on his side.

“Enjoy dying of frostbite.” he yawned and shuffled in his spot.

“Gee thanks J!” she remarked, rolling her eyes even if he couldn’t see her in the dark. She earned a quiet attempt at a laugh.

“Ok Ecco, this has been fun but come back, i’m tired.”

“Why do you want me back over there so much?” She was honestly just trying to buy more conversation time, she already knew the answer.

“Because baby…” he drew out the pet name, trying to lure her back to him.

“Yes?”

“I sleep better if i'm touching you…” he mumbled embarrassedly.

Ecco let out an ‘awe’ sound and rolled back over to where Jeremiah was.

He let out a pleased noise as he settled back into his comfy place in the bed. He wrapped his arms back around her and at that moment Ecco knew she was the only soft spot he had for anyone… or anything for that matter. She kinda liked it.

Scratch that, she liked it a lot.

~~~  
The next morning

Ecco woke up to an empty bed. She wasn’t sad or upset. She was used to it. Jeremiah didn’t run on much sleep, he’d work on plans for buildings till 2am and wake up at 7 to skype business partners, and schedule meetings.

This morning was the first morning Ecco was genuinely nervous she wasn’t with him. As much as she knew Jeremiah could handle anything he set out to do, she worried that he wouldn’t come home to her.

 

She was glad that they got to share the last shred of normalcy they both kept hidden within the four walls they hid behind. Deep down, as evil and cruel as people may make him out to be, she thought, they’ll never really know what she gets to see, but maybe that makes her the crazy one?


End file.
